Story by Hunter Sales | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Writing an article about FFS seems a bit like beating the proverbial dead horse, but what I learned from Strike King NPFL Stop One at Santee Cooper is intriguing enough that I wanted to share with it with you.
As many people know, I enjoy using FFS and used it with quite a bit of success in 2024. I knew that the game would be changed in 2025, and was a bit nervous about how I would enjoy fishing without this tool after I dedicated years to learning how to best target nomadic bass. Given, Santee Cooper is a bank fisherman’s paradise, but I was still surprised with my thoughts after the event. I actually had a ton of fun fishing without the pressure to keep my head on the screen the entire time. I didn’t have to worry about getting beat by LiveScope when I was fishing the bank. I also found my mind processing information about which baits and colors could be most effective more than I have in a number of years.
While FFS is certainly enjoyable when they’re in bait balls and active, it can be a chore to fish tournaments that way when you’re looking for big singles or something similar. During my practice and tournament days at Santee Cooper, I enjoyed skipping a bait under trees and docks, flipping isolated targets, and fan casting on grass flats. While using FFS, there’s constant stimulation from what you’re processing, and it creates a lot of stress for anglers. Without it, there’s still the stress of figuring out a pattern, but there is also a sense of slowing down mentally when you’re fishing. I had almost forgotten how it felt to not be constantly thinking “eat it” or “not a bass” or “too little” or “wrong profile.” There’s also something to be said about being surprised by a bite!
I first realized that I was going to have to adapt to the conditions more drastically than in the last few seasons when I was doing tackle prep prior to hitting the road for Santee Cooper. Last year, the majority of my fish were caught on two or three different minnow profiles with about five different weight sizes. Mix in a few worms to drop-shot and neko-rig and you were set for each tournament. This year, I found myself spending a lot of money to order a wide range of baits such as spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, etc. I’ve always looked at baits as tools used to accomplish a specific job. For instance, a spinnerbait comes over wood significantly better than a ChatterBait, but a ChatterBait tends to do a better job in grass. Not having FFS brings all of these variables back into play in addition to water color, etc. This led to my mind processing a lot more information as the day went on. Last year, fishing was relatively simple with only a few rods on deck each day.
This surprises many people, but I really enjoy fishing without FFS. I am just as nostalgic about the ways that I learned to fish as anyone. It was a pleasant surprise to go back to these roots without the thought of “I’m getting beat by the guys scoping”. I learned to scope out of necessity, not necessarily out of preference. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the weights are throughout the rest of the NPFL season, but regardless it was really neat to take a break from the technology-laced game I’ve been playing for the past few seasons.
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
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